


You’ll Always Be My Shining Knight

by tehfanglyfish



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Canon Era, Creaky Knees Are A Thing Y'all, Deviates From Canon, Established Relationship, Growing Old Together, M/M, Ridiculous Arthur, Sweet Merlin (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24930901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: Aging starts to catch up with Arthur. Under no circumstances does he want Merlin to find out.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 361





	You’ll Always Be My Shining Knight

**Author's Note:**

> Title is sappy, but so are Merlin and Arthur. In the interest of full disclosure, I've had creaky knees since I was a teenager.
> 
> No monies made, no ownership claimed. I just love these characters.

“Let’s have you, lazy daisy.”

Arthur groaned and pulled the covers over his head.

“Come on. None of that. You have a full day ahead of you.”

Arthur burrowed his face into the pillow, only to find it magicked away.

“That’s cheating,” he called from under the blanket.

“Yes, well, you left me little choice. _Some_ of us have actual jobs to do and don’t have all day to spend waking up the king.”

“Like you’ve ever worked a day in your life. I know you sorcerer types, always using your magic to get your work done faster.”

“True,” Merlin laughed. “Though I don’t think you’ll mind when you finally do get up, as my magic has left a good breakfast waiting for you. But now I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done checking up on the hatchlings and I’d better not find you still in bed.”

With a quick kiss to the top of Arthur’s head, Merlin left to look in on Camelot’s newest dragons.

Arthur listened to Merlin’s footsteps fading down the outside corridor. Only after he was certain Merlin was gone did he try to get up.

Contrary to popular (or rather Merlin’s) belief, Arthur Pendragon did not hate morning.

True, he sometimes needed a little help with the transition from dreaming to consciousness, but once that bridge had been crossed, Arthur rather liked morning. The day was new and fresh, full of possibility. There were still choices to be made and adventures to be had, even if reigning during a golden age meant that those adventures were more often than not of the bureaucratic variety.

There was only one part of morning that Arthur hated, and that was the process of extracting himself from his bed.

To get up meant leaving the warmth of the covers behind, which really meant leaving the warmth of Merlin behind. Though they’d now shared a bed for over two decades, Arthur still hated disentangling himself from Merlin just as much as he had when they’d first become lovers.

More recently another complication had been added to the mix, one that Arthur did not want Merlin to know about, one that he hoped to take with him to his grave.

His knees - stiff, achy, and creaky – were constantly reminding Arthur that he had grown older. It started with an occasional pain or slight limitation in his range of motion. Now his knees demanded that he start each morning slowly, immediately chastening him if he tried to rush the process.

With Merlin gone to the hatchlings, Arthur didn’t have to hide the cracking and popping noises his knees made as he got out of bed and climbed into his clothes. Wearing armor likely made the pain worse, but Arthur didn’t care, the metallic clink providing him with the cover he needed to keep his secret.

Breakfast soon devoured, Arthur left his chambers to face the day.

After the unpleasant trek down the stairs, he debated asking Gaius for a remedy. The physician was well past the traditional retirement age, though he continued on in his work. Arthur had a deep suspicion that Merlin had a part to play in the old man’s good health and longevity.

But if Arthur told Gaius, Merlin would find out, and that was something Arthur could not let happen. How could Arthur still be Merlin’s dashing knight with an old man’s knees?

And so Arthur soldiered through his day.

His closing speech at the end of the council meeting gave him a plausible reason to rise slowly. Arthur chose to remain standing when it was time to observe the newest crop of knights at training. The fact that Leon also refused to take an offered seat left Arthur wondering if he had a similar problem.

Merlin caught up with him at midday.

“Want to go for a ride and get away from this mess for a bit? I’ve packed a picnic.”

Even after all this time, Merlin’s smile could still make Arthur melt.

“That would be…”

Arthur imagined himself struggling in and out of the saddle.

“Better on another day,” he finished. “I need to keep watching the knights.”

It was a pathetic excuse and Arthur’s shame at it was compounded by the way Merlin’s face fell.

“That’s all right,” Merlin said, forced cheerfulness in his voice. “We can eat here.”

He began distributing food from the pack he’d brought, the meal made more awkward by Arthur’s insistence that he eat on his feet.

“A king should look kingly. Sitting is for…”

“Those wish to enjoy their lunch,” Merlin muttered.

“I suppose I should get on with my day,” Arthur said after the food was gone and training had ended. “The guild masters…”

“Needed to reschedule. That’s part of why I brought a picnic.”

“Ah. So that means that the whole afternoon is free.”

“Yep.”

The pang of regret hurt far more than the pain in Arthur’s knees.

“Tell you what,” Arthur said, “it’s too late for a ride but we can still get away. Go grab a couple of bottles of wine from the kitchens and meet me on the eastern tower.”

That idea seemed to appease his husband, as Merlin trotted off happily. Since the kitchens and the eastern tower were on the opposite sides of the castle, it would give Arthur the time he needed to climb the stairs without Merlin catching on to his secret.

He’d almost made it to the top of the stairwell when he heard footsteps from below quickly gaining on him.

Merlin said nothing, but slowed his pace as they climbed the last few steps together.

“Oh dollophead,” he finally said when they were seated on the roof the tower, Arthur’s cloak spread out underneath them. “You could have told me you needed help.”

“But then you’d think I was old.”

“Arthur, we’re both old. Well, older.”

“Says the man who has no trouble climbing the stairs.”

“Thanks to my magic, which I might add, is at your disposal. Why not ask for a healing spell?”

“Because I’m supposed to be strong and protect you.”

“And you are and you do. But what is the point of me having this gift if I can’t use it to help those that I love?”

Never ever had Arthur been able to resist Merlin when he used that tone.

“Fine. Get on with it.”

“Prat,” Merlin said, but there was only warmth in his voice.

He rolled up the legs of Arthur’s breeches, then placed his palms on Arthur’s exposed knees. Arthur had watched Merlin perform spells countless times over the years, but never ceased to be amazed at the power his husband possessed. Warm magic flowed into his aching joints, causing the pain to subside.

“Better?” Merlin asked, palms resting on Arthur.

“Much. I haven’t felt this good in over a month. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“Hush with that. Although…”

“Yes?”

“If you really want to pay me for my services…” Merlin let his hands wander above Arthur’s knees. “We do have a free afternoon and this tower all to ourselves.”

Arthur gave an enthusiastic whimper as Merlin’s fingers found the waistband of his breeches.

“Of course,” Merlin teased, “I wouldn’t want to overwhelm an old man.”

“Not that old,” Arthur hissed.

“Prove it.”

And so Arthur did.

Hours later, when the afternoon had long since turned to dusk, they stayed curled up on the tower, Arthur’s cloak wrapped around them.

“You know,” Merlin said, his head resting on Arthur’s chest, “I will love you no matter how old you get. Even when you look like Dragoon…”

“I will _never_ look like Dragoon,” Arthur replied, threading his fingers through Merlin’s hair.

“But even if you do, you have nothing to worry about. You’ll always be my shining knight, even if when you’re eighty. Even when you’re a hundred and eighty.”

Arthur found that the lump in his throat made it impossible to reply and instead squeezed Merlin tight.

“I suppose we should go find some food,” Arthur finally managed to say.

“No need. I might have packed another picnic when I grabbed the wine.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Oh I think you do. Now kiss me and let’s eat.”


End file.
